Wrapping Headers...
Wrapping Headers... After reading several threads on here and other forums I've seen opinions aplenty on the subject, but have yet to really find the answer I was looking for, here goes...
To give a little background, I was planning on doing headers later, but long story short (find my other recent threads for that) I bought some painted pacesetter LTs and while waiting for them to arrive I've begun to research, discover startling things, and subsequently wonder. Apparently the agreed-upon method for non-coated headers is to wrap them to reduce underhood temp and increase exhaust flow, but seems to give a wide variety of end results(1 person has them rusted out in a few months, others have had the LTs for YEARS no problems at all). And I've seen people swear coated headers are just as bad or as good as non-coated w/ heat wraps. Guess I just never thought such a WIDELY performed and deceptively simple upgrade had so many pitfalls and headaches...
On to questions:
-Simply, should I wrap?
-Is it even feasible to just run painted (NOT coated) pacesetters or similar LTs without heat wrap? I've seen some claim underhood temps of >500F; that can't be good for the electronics...
-I've seen people say "rusted in XXX amount of time w/ heat wrap". By rusted do they usually mean just looking bad or are the LTs garbage? (holes in it, falling apart, etc)
-How much time would you say a DD w/ heat-wrapped LTs will last until failure? (atm I dont care about how pretty it is, just that it works) Note I am in Florida and though we do not get snow it rains like rapture sometimes.
-What can I do to treat them (cheaply if possible, same reason I didn't get coated) to make them last longer w/ heat wraps?
To give a little background, I was planning on doing headers later, but long story short (find my other recent threads for that) I bought some painted pacesetter LTs and while waiting for them to arrive I've begun to research, discover startling things, and subsequently wonder. Apparently the agreed-upon method for non-coated headers is to wrap them to reduce underhood temp and increase exhaust flow, but seems to give a wide variety of end results(1 person has them rusted out in a few months, others have had the LTs for YEARS no problems at all). And I've seen people swear coated headers are just as bad or as good as non-coated w/ heat wraps. Guess I just never thought such a WIDELY performed and deceptively simple upgrade had so many pitfalls and headaches...
On to questions:
-Simply, should I wrap?
-Is it even feasible to just run painted (NOT coated) pacesetters or similar LTs without heat wrap? I've seen some claim underhood temps of >500F; that can't be good for the electronics...
-I've seen people say "rusted in XXX amount of time w/ heat wrap". By rusted do they usually mean just looking bad or are the LTs garbage? (holes in it, falling apart, etc)
-How much time would you say a DD w/ heat-wrapped LTs will last until failure? (atm I dont care about how pretty it is, just that it works) Note I am in Florida and though we do not get snow it rains like rapture sometimes.
-What can I do to treat them (cheaply if possible, same reason I didn't get coated) to make them last longer w/ heat wraps?
Painted headers lose their paint usually very quickly, leaving an ugly rusty look. I've never seen any headers rusted through, just mainly ugly appearance. Your best bet is ceramic coated, or stainless. You can still have a local company throw a ceramic coat on there without breaking the bank.
My headers are stainless, so I can't comment on the rust first hand, but I've painted a few sets and depending on what you use, it will hold up. I wrapped mine because no matter what you read, its all pretty much bullshit about the coating. Try running the **** out of your car and then touching some coated headers, then try it on my wrapped headers. The coated would leave you with 3rd degree burns where as you can go and change the plugs after on mine...I'm not shitting you. I can literally touch mine without burning myself, and depending on how hard I run it, I can hold my hand on them. They don't get hot at all. Just use good wrap like DEI and be sure to seal it up with the paint they include in the kit. I think my wrapped headers actually look better than most coated headers tbh.
My headers are stainless, so I can't comment on the rust first hand, but I've painted a few sets and depending on what you use, it will hold up. I wrapped mine because no matter what you read, its all pretty much bullshit about the coating. Try running the **** out of your car and then touching some coated headers, then try it on my wrapped headers. The coated would leave you with 3rd degree burns where as you can go and change the plugs after on mine...I'm not shitting you. I can literally touch mine without burning myself, and depending on how hard I run it, I can hold my hand on them. They don't get hot at all. Just use good wrap like DEI and be sure to seal it up with the paint they include in the kit. I think my wrapped headers actually look better than most coated headers tbh.
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Joined: Sep 2002
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From: Clinton Twp. Michigan
If these are gonna see daily driver usage, i would just save up till i could afford the stainless set, your better served with stainless for a car that will see daily duties. Or for less than the painted sets, grab some stainless EBAY headers, and rock those. They are thinner guage then the big name sets, but still better life than painted.
